Constants & Variables via Jacques Bertin Size

Shape Value

Orientation Texture

Color

The Semiology of Graphics: , Networks, Jacques Bertin (1967) Group Distinguish Sort Count

Size

Value

Texture

Color

Orientation

Shape

The Semiology of Graphics: Diagrams, Networks, Maps Jacques Bertin (1967) Bertin’s ‘Retinal Variables’ Retinal Variable: Size ! Parameters height area count Retinal Variable: Shape ! Parameters outline associated information in legend Retinal Variable: Value ! Parameters greyscale lightness Retinal Variable: Color ! Parameters equiluminant hue differences Retinal Variable: Orientation ! Parameters variation from horizontal ↔ vertical Retinal Variable: Texture ! Parameters stroke weight spatial frequency Retinal Variable: The plane ! Parameters origin x, y, and ‘z’ axes Retinal Variable: The plane ! Points “A point represents a location on the plane that has no theoretical length or area. This signification is independent of the size and character of the mark which renders it visible.” ! Can represent: a position in 2D space an entity with a pair of abstract values ! Can vary in: thickness color & value texture Retinal Variable: The plane ! Lines “A line signifies a phenomenon on the plane which has measurable length but no area. This signification is independent of the width and characteristics of the mark which renders it visible.” ! Can represent: a connection a boundary ! Can vary in: thickness color & value texture ! Must keep constant: positions of endpoints Retinal Variable: The plane ! Areas “An area signifies something on the plane that has measurable size. This signification applies to the entire area covered by the visible mark.” ! Can represent: a quantity of variation in each dimension a categorical grouping of points ! Can vary in: position ! Must keep constant: size shape orientation Retinal Variable: The plane ! Areas “An area signifies something on the plane that has measurable size. This signification applies to the entire area covered by the visible mark.” ! Can represent: a quantity of variation in each dimension a categorical grouping of points ! Can vary in: position ! Must keep constant: size shape orientation Variables on the plane Retinal Variable: Size Retinal Variable: Shape Retinal Variable: Value Retinal Variable: Color Retinal Variable: Orientation Retinal Variable: Texture To recap… Visual Variables , Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Design for GIS John Krygier + Denis Wood (2005) Case Study Traffic accidents in 20th Century Paris The Dataset: 2 dimensions The Dataset: 3 dimensions The Dataset: 4 dimensions The Dataset: 5 dimensions

Linear Construction ! Total quantity depicted through line-length (1 planar dimension) ! Figures 1: unsorted 2: sorted horizontally 3: overlapped to show proportion 4: countable representation 5: sorted vertically Orthogonal Construction ! Total not depicted but comparisons enabled (2 planar dimensions) ! Figures 6 & 7: quantities on vertical axis 9: categories on vertical axis 8: hollow bars reinforce ‘100%’ measure 10: show ‘trends’ by linking categories Rectilinear Elevation ! Total not depicted and comparisons impeded (1 planar dimension, 1 area dimension) ! Figures 11 & 12: areas proportional to horizontal scale 13: diagonal arrangement (shudder) 14 & 15: regions overlaid to show proportion Circular Construction ! Total depicted in arc angle (1 polar dimension) ! Figures 18: simple bar graph but on a curve 16, 17, & 19: slices of entire circle or a subset Polar Construction ! Total not depicted. Quantities shown through line-length and category through angle. (1 planar dimension, 1 polar dimension) ! Figures 20: simple bar graph with differing bar orientations 23: outer circle to aid comparison Circular Elevation ! Total not depicted. Individual quantities shown through area and categories through angle. (1 polar dimension, 1 area dimension) ! Figures 24: curved form of Rectilinear Elevation 25: radius of arc (Nightingale Rose) 26: area of circle 27: same as 24 but on a semi-circle

Exercise #1 Mapping Time Babylonian star chart and calendar from Ashurbanipal, Nineveh, Assyrian cuneiform (circa 720 BCE) The possible relations between time periods

Actions and Events in Interval Temporal Logic, James F. Allen, George Ferguson, 1997 Design for Information – Isabel Meirelles Design for Information – Isabel Meirelles Design for Information – Isabel Meirelles Timelines Joseph Priestley's A New Chart of History (1769) Timescale

Color

Time Indicators

Thematic sections

Line indicators (length)

Joseph Priestley's A New Chart of History (1769) Charles & Ray Eames, Minds of Modern Mathematics 1964 Over the Decades – NYT Here is Today How different groups spend their day – NYT Life of a Typical American - Wait But Why? Snapshots Muybridge, The Horse in Motion CatalogTree 2005. A325-N325: 10.000 cars passing a bridge The time of passing-by, the speed and the distance between two cars. The Whale Hunt – Jonathan Harris Turning over of a Starfish Étienne-Jules Marey, Mouvement (1895) Year-long life cycle of Popillia japonica Newman L. Hugh Newman, Man and Insects (1965) Cycles " of the causes of mortality in the army in the East" by (Wikipedia) Motown 191 Number One Hits. Publico Newspaper, 2008, Spain Last Clock - New Mediology